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2007 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season was a very deadly, very destructive and very active period of time that favours tropical cyclone formation in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The season began with the formation of the first system, Tropical Storm Andrea, on June 4, and ran until the final system, Tropical Storm Noel dissipated on October 29. During this time, several strong hurricanes impacted parts of the Caribbean and United States, resulting in 406 deaths, and $17.816 billion in damages. By far the most significant storm of the season, Chantal, one of two Category 5 hurricanes this season tore across the Caribbean and Central America, crossing out into the eastern Pacific as a tropical depression. Another Category 5, Gabrielle, also existed during the season, and was of much less an impact to parts of the southern Caribbean region. Most of the systems that developed this season impacted land in some way or another, mainly as a result of a well established deep layered subtropical ridge dominating the basin during the season for the most part. Systems Tropical Storm Andrea The origins of Andrea can be traced to an early season tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on May 28. Moving westwards across much of the basin without much development, the system began to organise on June 1,and by the time a reconnaissance aircraft investigated the system on June 4, a low level center had managed to close off along the wave axis, signalling hte birth of a tropical depression in the region. Turning towards the west-northwest, the depression was able to intensify into the first tropical storm of the season early the following day as it entered the southern Gulf of Mexico. Gradually turning towards the northwest, Andrea reached a peak intensity of 60 mph as it was approaching the Louisiana coast, where it made landfall late on June 7 with winds of 50 mph. Moving inland, Andrea began to weaken, and by late the following day, Andrea became post tropical as it interacted with a frontal system whilst located over central Mississippi. Turning towards the north, the remnants of Andrea then turned to the northeast on June 9, before being absorbed into a frontal zone over Tennessee. Whilst active, Andrea was the cause of 4 deaths and $35 million in damages, mainly due to heavy flood producing rainfall. Tropical Depression Two The origins of Two can be traced to an area of low pressure that formed in association with a tropical wave that had emerged from the coast of Africa on June 24. Forced to the west by an amplified ridge centered over the Atlantic, the system eventually organised into a tropical depression on June 29 as it began approaching the southern Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. Moving through an environment of dry air and some easterly shear, the depression was unable to strengthen, and made landfall in the southern islands as a tropical depression on June 30, before moving out into the Caribbean Sea on July 1 and opening out into a trough of low pressure. Whilst active, Two had minimal impact on land, producing a few gusts to tropical storm force in the southern islands. Hurricane Barry The origins of Barry can be traced to a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on July 10. Moving briskly westward, the wave slowly organised, and after slowing down on July 13, a low pressure area developed along the wave axis, and a tropical depression developed the following day. Forced to the west by an amplified ridge, the depression became a tropical storm after passing through the southern Windward Islands and out into the Caribbean Sea, where the system turned towards the west-northwest and intensified into the first hurricane of the season late on July 16 whilst nearing landfall on the northeastern coast of Jamaica. Crossing the island in about 14 hours, Barry intensified into a category 2 hurricane on July 18, and made landfall along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with winds of 105 mph later that day. Moving inland briefly, the system entered the Gulf of Mexico early the following day as a category 1 hurricane, before turning west and entering an environment of higher shear as it turned towards the west-southwest, weakening to a tropical storm on July 20. early on July 21, Barry made landfall in Mexico with winds of 45 mph, and quickly weakened whilst moving inland over mountainous terrain. Whilst active, Barry was the cause of 23 deaths, and $312 million in damages. Most of the deaths were on the Yucatan Peninsula, where Barry brought a 10 foot storm surge ashore, drowning 17 people in the process. In Mexico, 5 people were killed by flooding related to heavy rain that Barry brought into the area. Another death was caused by rip currents in Louisiana. Hurricane Chantal The origins of Chantal can be traced back to a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on July 22. Moving towards the west due to an amplified ridge centered over the Atlantic, the wave gradually organised, becoming a tropical depression on July 27 whilst making an approach on the central Lesser Antilles. A few hours before making landfall, Chantal intensified into a hurricane, and began to gradually intensify, becoming a category 2 hurricane late on July 30 whilst over the eastern Caribbean Sea. Continuing to intensify, Chantal became a category 5 hurricane on August 1, before peaking with winds of 175 mph later that day. Moving towards the coast of Honduras, Chantal weakened to a category 4 hurricane before making landfall and quickly weakening as it moved inland. On August 4, Chantal emerged into the eastern Pacific as a tropical depression, and reintensified into a tropical storm before making a final landfall as a tropical storm in Mexico. During it's existence, Chantal was the cause of 239 deaths, and $4.4 billion in damages. 15 foot storm surges battered much of the region for days, claiming most of the lives in the process. Extensive mudslides also contributed to the death toll as well. Hurricane Dean The origins of Dean can be traced back to a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on July 29. Moving to the west, the wave gradually organised, and on August 3, a closed center of circulation developed, and Tropical Storm Dean developed to the south of the Dominican Republic. Turning to the west-northwest, Dean gradually intensified, and became a hurricane late the following day as an eye began to become discernible in satellite imagery. Dean then made landfall in Cuba as a category 2 hurricane on August 5. moving inland for a few hours, the mountains disrupted Dean's core, and so the hurricane weakened to a category 1 for a short time as it entered the Gulf of Mexico. Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico, Dean began to rapidly intensify, and reached category 3 intensity on August 6 before making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida with 120 mph winds. Slowly weakening as it moved inland, Dean moved into southern Georgia as a category 1 hurricane, before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved up the United States East Coast, becoming extratropical on August 8. Whilst active, Dean was the cause of 41 fatalities, and $11 billion in damages, mainly due to the extreme longevity of inland hurricane force winds. Tropical Storm Erin Tropical Storm Felix Tropical Depression Eight Hurricane Gabrielle Hurricane Humberto Tropical Storm Ingrid Tropical Storm Jerry Hurricane Karen Hurricane Lorenzo Subtropical Storm Melissa Tropical Storm Noel